Dark Apparition - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla & Coffee Beans
Jackie O's Brewpub

 

 

 

 

Bottle at share. Definitely the highlight of the evening. Big Rich, sticky, sweet Stout. Barrel aging vanilla coffee chocolate, all coming together perfectly. Slick feel, oily, gentle warrant from the alcohol. Absolutely stellar.

 

Super dark brown / black in appearance with a small amount of tan head that receded to a thin ring somewhat quickly. Basically, it looks like a stout. Aroma is glorious. Vanilla leads the parade, but chocolate, barrel and coffee are all there as well. Very inviting.

The taste has the same elements as the nose, but in different proportions. The barrel is more pronounced, and helps balance out the sweetness of the malts. The vanilla is a little more subdued, and I'm not getting any coffee. Nice, full mouthfeel.

Overall, this is a very good beer. Well balanced and a joy to drink.

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a small, creamy head. Smells of roasted, caramel malt, chocolate and vanilla, with lighter coffee and bourbon-soaked oak also coming through. Taste is an excellent balance of roasted, slightly caramelly malt and strong dark, bitter chocolate and roasted coffee notes, which some through a lot stronger on the tongue than in the nose, distinct vanilla and lighter dark fruit, with notes of raisin and fig, as well as hints of licorice and bourbon-soaked oak. Finishes with a light bitterness and sweetness, as well as some roasted malt and coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and low/medium carbonation.

This certainly is the best BBA Stout I've had in a while, what a lovely treat, and perfect for Christmas Eve. I love the balance between roasted malts and coffee, dark, bitter chocolate and sweet caramel malt and vanilla here, being rounded out by dark fruits, licorice and oak. While it may be just a tad too sweet for my personal taste, there's still a lovely balance to this, without being overly boozy at all, but still showing a good bourbon presence. While I would have wished for a slightly richer mouthfeel, this still makes for an incredibly enjoyable, well-balanced BBA Stout with a good complexity.

 

Jackie O's knows Stout. Dark brown/black, opaque. Coffee, vanilla, maple nose. Really clean. More coffee than vanilla. Dark Chocolate? Slight bitter. Slight. Long, clean, nice finish. A beer to savor and sip ... and think. Dark chocolate, maple, vanilla taste.Smooth, it just glides over my tongue. Sweet. They really know Stout!

 

Picked up a 12.7 oz bottle from the Appalachian Vintner in Asheville 8-4-22 for $13.99. 2022 bottle consumed 10-1-22.

Beer poured black with a very nice tan head.

Nose is very nice, a blend of light roasted malts, bourbon, and vanilla.

Taste follows the nose with the substantial lightly roasted malts garner the barrel lending a touch of warming bourbon and vanilla. Coffee is under the radar and is faintly in the background. Finishes nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel is medium to large bodied and very smooth.

Overall a delicious beer that was fun to try!

Everything is in its place on this one. All the flavors get more pronounced as it warms.

 

 

 

 

Pours a raspberry-hued black with a finger-and-a-half of dark khaki head. Solid retention before settling into a decent cap. Spotty lacing.

Roast coffee and chocolate, with vanilla and marshmallow behind, are what stand out most in the nose. Maybe a hint of cherry from the bourbon.

Nice vanilla / marshmallow addition throughout the taste. A hint of cherry again from the bourbon. Overall balance, however, is slightly in favor of the roast coffee, which along with some warming alcohol, keep it tasting dark and mature. Touches of raisin and chocolate show, too, as the serving progresses.

Smooth, lush, full-bodied feel. Just enough carbonation slowly cutting through.

Another excellent beer from this brewery.